Theresa May makes very rude joke as she praises the ‘excellent’ Boris Johnson at PMQs as an ‘FFS’ – a Fine Foreign Secretary

THERESA May hit back at jokes about Boris Johnson today by saying he was an FFS - a "Fine Foreign Secretary".

Slapping down a joke from a Labour MP about his appointment, the PM said he was "doing an excellent job".

Labour MP Peter Dowd took the first question today to tease the Prime Minister about Boris Johnson's recent comments about Saudi Arabia, which embarrassed the Government.

He said: "In light of the Foreign Secretary's display of foot and mouth disease...

"When deciding on cabinet position does the Prime Minister think that pencilling in 'FO' should have been an instruction, not a job offer?"

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Despite laughter around the chamber, the PM hit back: "The Foreign Secretary is doing an absolutely excellent job.

"He is, in short, an FFS, a fine, foreign secretary."

Mrs May was alluding to he fact 'FFS' normally stands for something a lot ruder.

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Mr Johnson was formally rebuked last week after footage emerged of him accusing Saudi Arabia of "puppeteering" and "playing proxy wars".

His unguarded comments left the government red faced just hours after Mrs May told the Saudis they were one of “our oldest and most dependable allies” and emerged as Mr Johnson also headed to the region.

No 10 said his views were not those of the Government, just the latest in a number of slapdowns for the Foreign Secretary.

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It's not the first time the PM has made a racy joke in the Commons, after turning PMQs blue with an innuendo-laden joke about an MP on his birthday.

After wishing Peter Bone many happy returns back in October, the Prime Minister said: “I do hope that Mrs Bone is going to treat the occasion in the appropriate manner…”

The Commons was whipped into a frenzy by Mrs May’s salacious remark, leading the Speaker of the House to intervene.

But John Bercow only made things worse, telling members: “I want to hear what’s coming next!”

This prompted a now slightly sheepish-looking PM to add: “Calm down Mr Speaker…”